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Thursday Movie Picks: Rescues

Okay, I couldn't help it. To be fair, I didn't pick movies with damsels, but here are some films that I really enjoy where someone had to be rescued.

1) The Martian

Watney gets left behind on a mission to Mars and NASA has to spend probably a trillion dollars to get him home. I loved the book and the movie, and you know what, I like that the HFPA put it in the comedy category at the Globes. Fight me.

2) Argo

What's so amazing about this movie, a real life rescue mission about six Americans stranded in Iran in the 80's is how even though you know the ending, the film makes it feel like something could go horribly wrong. That's masterful.

3) The Rescuers

The Rescuers: Down Under came out during my life time, but this one came out in the 70's, and I thought it was the sequel when I was a kid. I didn't realize this one came first. Everyone seems to love DU more, but I've always had a soft spot for Penny getting rescued in this one.

I love how on the same page we are this week! Completely agree about Argo, and I like both The Rescuers and its sequel probably evenly. The Martian is a great choice that I'm kicking myself for not thinking of, and I am once again in complete agreement with you about its placement at the Golden Globes - it's absolutely a comedy.

Oh man, totally could have picked The Martian and gone with a space theme for this week, but I already picked The Martian, and I don't want to repeat myself (often). Which kind of means I have to start watching more movies because I'm running out of picks :D but The Martian, great pick!

I wasn't sure about The Martian when I sat down to watch it, the hype made me cautious, but it was very interesting and Damon was great. It was really his performance that kept it engaging.

I'm not usually an animation fan to put it mildly but The Rescuers is one I love. It's the odd but surprisingly simpatico coupling of Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor as Miss Bianca and Bernard that makes it work for me. That and Geraldine Page having a ball as Madame Medusa. It's one of the very few along with the sequel that I'll willingly sit down and watch with my nieces and nephew.

Argo is one of those rare films that manages to present its details in the right way so that even if you know the outcome the film stays compelling.

My first pick managed that trick as well and my others look at rescue from very different viewpoints. If you haven't seen the last I urge you to do so.

Apollo 13 (1995)-Astronaut Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks) has been bumped up to command the Apollo 13 mission to the moon along with Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) and Ken Mattingly (Gary Sinise). Days away from launch Mattingly is pulled due to the risk of an infection and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) takes his place and the launch proceeds. Everything seems to be going according to schedule until there is a sudden explosion and the three astronauts are suddenly facing a life and death situation in deep space with the only hope of rescue Mission Control back at NASA. The bulk of the film is taken up with those efforts lead by Gene Kranz (Ed Harris) while Lovell’s wife (Kathleen Quinlan), the other’s family members and the world watch anxiously. Despite the known outcome incredibly gripping film was justly nominated for a slew of Oscars.

Outrageous Fortune (1987)-Two struggling actresses-the hoity toity Lauren (Shelley Long) and brassy Sandy (Bette Midler) receive scholarships to a prestigious acting class conducted by a legendary Russian teacher Stanislav Korzenowski (Robert Prosky) and despise each other on sight. At the same time they both become involved with a handsome laconic teacher Michael Santers (Peter Coyote) unbeknownst to each other. When it appears that Michael has been killed the pair realize that’s not so and surmise he’s in trouble and needs rescuing. They reluctantly team up to save him, sniping at each other all the way. It does NOT go as expected but they are off on a merry chase across the country aided at times by the stoned out Frank (a hilarious George Carlin). Boisterous comedy with sensational silk and sandpaper chemistry between odd couple Long and Midler.

Ace in the Hole (1951)-Once successful reporter Chuck Tatum (Kirk Douglas) has landed at a small Albuquerque newspaper due both to his drinking and bad abrasive attitude. Sent on a nothing assignment he stumbles across what he senses is a headline story that could return him to the big leagues, a man has become trapped in a cave-in. Opportunistically manipulating the situation, with the collusion of the sheriff and the man’s greedy wife Lorraine (Jan Sterling) for their advantage more than the safety of the trapped man they find ways to delay the rescue without appearing to do just that. As the news spreads the quiet remote area begins to resemble a carnival atmosphere (the reissue title of the film was The Big Carnival) and the delaying tactics start to endanger the trapped man’s life. Awesome performances but this terribly cynical film is a disturbingly prescient example of the news reporting ethos “If it bleeds, it leads” culture. May be Wilder’s darkest film, that’s saying something for someone who directed Double Indemnity and Sunset Blvd.

I remember you liking other Wilder's so I think you'll definitely find Ace in the Hole very worthwhile. It's diamond hard with a pretty bleak outlook but fascinating and loaded with great performances.

The Martian is brilliant and the are funny moments but I shake my head at the Golden Globe category. Argo is Edge of your seat film and how much I remember when the Iran hostage crisis began. I take this film as a film from the. U. S. Side because it does minimize, greatly, how much the Canadian Embassy, specifically Ken Taylor, did to save these Americans. I was honoured and humbled to have met him when he came back from Iran and spoke about what he did. He came to my high school and I was riveted by what he and other Canadians did and I shook his hand! I still have to see The Rescuers and want to because I love Eva Gabor

LAMB #753

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